Although kratom is relatively new in the Western world, cultures in Southeast Asia have used it for many generations. The population from these regions used to chew kratom’s leaves to feel its effects and experience its properties. But this is not the way that western people would choose to take it. There are different methods to take kratom. Some prefer brewing its leaves or powder into a tea brewing its leaves or powder into a tea, others take capsules, or just use the tosh and wash methods. If you ever wondered how to take kratom tea, read further for some tips.
How to Take Kratom: Powder
One of the most common formats of kratom is kratom powder. There are many vendors that offer this format and it’s one of the most popular among kratom consumers. Let’s see the most common ways to take kratom powder:
The “toss and wash” method: This is probably the most effective way to take kratom, as it isn’t mixed with anything else. By using this method you will need to place the desired amount of kratom in a spoon, and then “toss” it into your mouth. You’ll notice that the powder has a bitter taste and that it will stick to your tongue. Secondly, you’ll need to drink a big glass of water or juice to wash the powder down your throat. But, be aware that this method could be a bit “problematic” if you are not an experienced kratom user, as it could make you cough or gag. Some people find it a bit obnoxious and prefer other ways of consumption that we’ll see now.
Drinking kratom tea: This is another method of choice for many kratom consumers. To prepare kratom tea you can add your usual kratom dose to a cup full of water and let it boil for a few minutes (until the powder is almost dissolved). You can brew your tea using a saucepan or even boil the water in the microwave. After brewing the kratom this way, you will need to use a strain and pour the tea into another cup to get rid of any powder particles left in the water. In addition, to prepare kratom tea you can fill in an empty tea bag with kratom and brew it like you would do with any other tea.
Mixing kratom with a sweet food: One of the disadvantages of kratom powder is its bitter taste. In fact, some find it so overpowering that prefer mixing it with food to try to disguise it as much as possible. If you are one of those, you can try mixing your kratom powder with applesauce or pureed fruit. This way you’ll also prevent upset stomach and nausea.
How to Take Kratom: Extracts
Kratom extract is a more concentrated form of kratom. When buying kratom extracts, you must pay attention to the concentration rate. For instance, when you see a 10x extract, this means that 10 grams of powder have been processed into 1 gram. But, remember that although this doesn’t mean that the extract will be 10 times stronger, you can consider this rate to calculate the proper dosage.
Taking kratom extracts is like taking kratom powder. You can brew it into a tea, which is the most common method of consumption, or you can even try to make your own kratom capsules. If you prefer, you can also mix it with a sweet food or use the toss and wash method just like you would do with kratom powder.
How to Take Kratom: Resin
As well as kratom extract, kratom resin is a more concentrated form of kratom, but concentration level is even higher. Kratom resin is prepared by boiling kratom powder into a tea until the water is completely evaporated. This will result in a thick, sticky substance: kratom resin. This resin will then be formatted into some sort of block, also called kratom pie.
Just like with kratom extract, you must look at kratom resin’s concentration rate before taking it. So, a 10x concentration means that 10 grams of kratom have been reduced to 1 gram of resin. Hence, remember to adjust your dosage taking this into consideration.
But what are the best ways to take kratom resin?
Just like any other formats, you can take kratom resin tea. To prepare it, just take a bit of the resin and boil it in water until it dissolves. As resin is usually very potent, be cautious when taking it for the first time. By drinking kratom resin tea, the effects might start in about 10 minutes.
Another way to take kratom resin is by just ingesting it, taking a piece of it and swallowing it like you would swallow a capsule. Remember that this way the digestion process will take longer. So, it will take longer for the effects to kick in (up to 45 minutes). If you drink a hot drink just after taking the resin, you can speed up the process a bit.
How to Take Kratom: Capsules
Another popular method of ingesting kratom is by taking kratom capsules. When taking kratom capsules, you will avoid its bitter taste completely. But there is a downside to it. When ingesting capsules, the effects will take longer to kick in. This is due to the fact that the digestive system will need to dissolve the capsules before being able to properly absorb the alkaloids. Sometimes it can take up to 1 hour to experience kratom’s effects when taking capsules.
Before taking capsules, you must find out how much kratom they contain. This way you will avoid taking too much and will also prevent developing kratom tolerance from taking more than you should. Remember that one capsule doesn’t mean one dose, so you will need to determine how many capsules you need to achieve your regular dosage.
The way to take kratom capsules is no different to the way you take any other capsules. Just take the number of capsules that make your regular dose and drink a glass of water to help swallow them. Some users bite the capsules prior to swallowing them to break them. This way, the powder inside will be released and digested faster.
How NOT to Take Kratom
Finally, we’ll see some ways that you should avoid when taking kratom, as they can be time-consuming, costly and sometimes dangerous.
As discussed, to be able to experience kratom’s effects, its alkaloids need to be absorbed into the system. This is best achieved when kratom is ingested. The digestive system will process kratom’s alkaloids by absorbing them and sending them into the bloodstream. That’s why the below methods are not effective:
Smoking or vaping kratom. When you smoke kratom, its alkaloids won’t reach the bloodstream unless you smoke a considerable amount. This is costly and makes no sense.
Snorting kratom. Just like smoking, you will need to snort a large amount for kratom to be absorbed into the bloodstream, making it a very ineffective way. Also, it is a painful method of consumption, as kratom powder can damage your nasal cavities.
Injecting kratom. Some think that if kratom needs to go into the bloodstream, this would be a fast way to achieve it. But this is not the case. Kratom is a plant, even extracts have plant substances in it. They are not processed to be injected. So, stay away from it and don’t even think of trying it.
So, what is your preferred method? How do you take your kratom?
